Improvement in bee-feeders



lonitexi W "Mw my PETER MILLE-R, JR., OF FREDONIA, NEW YORK.

Letters Patent No. 88,058, dated Ma/rch 23, 1869.

IMPROVEMENT IN BEE-FEEDERS.

The Schedule referred to in these Letters Patent and making part of thesame.

To all whom 'it may concern:

Be it known that I, PETER MILLER, Jr., of Fredonia, in the State ofNewYork, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Bee-Feeders; and Ido hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, andexactdescription of the same, reference being had to the accompanyingdrawing, and letters of reference marked the figure is a cross section.thereon, making a part of this specification, in which 'Io enable thoseskilled in the art to make and use my invention, I now proceed todescribe its construction and operation.

Similar letters, in thedrawing, refer to like parts.

' This invention belongs to that class of devices called bee-feeders,which is represented by a wooden box, having one or more compartmentsfor the feed, and another compartment for the bees to eat in, all ofwhich compartments a're covered by a glass slide; and

It consists in providing a passage under the partition, between thefeed-compartment and the eatingcompartment, under which the feed mayflow from the former to the latter.

Also, in providing, within the outside wall of the box, and beneath theglass cover, a passage by which the bees may enter the feeding-chamber,said passage being so arranged as to be always open.

Also, in providing the float within the feeding-chamber, ori-which thebees stand as they eat, with projections from each end and side, for thepurpose of always preserving a space between all parts of the said floatand the walls o f the feeding-chamber, for the convenience of the beesin eating; all of which will hereinafter more fully appear.

A represents a wooden box, of any desired size. A depth of two and ahalf inches, a width of four inches, and a length of ve inches, aresuggested as suitable proportions.

a a represent partitions, dividing the interior of the box A into thereceiver b, in which the feed is first placed, the feeding-chamber c,and the passage d, by which the bees enter.

As seen in iig. 2, there is a passage, a, between the under side of'thepartition a and the bottom of the box A, the purpose of which is toenable the feed in the receiver, which is generally of a semi-liquidnature, to flow into the feeding-chamber c as fast as 1t may be needed.

h represents a small wooden oat, placed within the feeding-chamber,which rests upon the feed, and prevents the bees from becoming stucktherein.

The said oat is provided at each end and each side with projections h',of tin, wire, or wood, the function of which is to preserve thefeeding-space at all points of the float, by preventing the same fromcoming in contact with the walls of the feeding-chamber.

The compartments are covered with a glass slide, i. As seen in iig. 2,the said slide is in immediate contact with the upper side of thepartition a, so as to entirely close the compartment l) at the top. Whenfeed is to be introduced into the receiver b, the glass slide i lshouldbe drawn back only as far as the partition a, so as to prevent thebees from gaining access to the said receiver. i

As seen at iig. 3, lthere is a space, as, between the glass cover andthe top of the partition a, which space opens into the passage d betweenthe partition a and the side b of the box, which latter comes up closeto the under side of the glass slide. The passage as enables the bees toenter the feeding-chamber, and is always open.

It is thus apparent that the bees can at all times enter or depart fromthe feedingchamber without difcnlty, and that it is impossible for themto enter the receiver b, except when the latter is entirely empty.

Having thus described my invention, What I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

The box A, provided with the partitions a al, the

-chambers b c, the passages d a? a3, and the oat h,

substantially as described.

' IETER MILLER. J n.

Witnesses J. B. ARCHIBALD, M. S. Snow.

